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Toda Racing RSX

Mr. Toda is a no-nonsense kind of guy when it comes to racing. His no-frills approach is what sets Toda Racing apart from the competition. He loads his cars with only the bare essentials needed to outperform any other vehicle in its class.

He is not a man interested in glow-in-the-dark shift knobs or neon light air fresheners. His racecars look uniquely untouched - performance is his concern, not looks. Thus, Toda engineers spend thousands of hours on R&D before any part makes it from the drawing table to Toda's extensive parts inventory. If it doesn't make horsepower, don't expect it in Toda's parts catalog."

Given the history of Toda Racing, we are pleased to bring you its RSX Type-S masterpiece. But be warned, if you are expecting some neat carbon-fiber dash kit or indigo gauge cluster, you'll be disappointed. This is your no-nonsense car. Every part that was installed in the Toda Racing RSX serves only one purpose- to eat competitors and spit them out.

Like all Toda Racing vehicles, the masterpiece began with a plain-Jane, white canvas RSX Type-S. Having been released in Japan for a year, Toda Racing had already been hard at work developing products for the K20A engine.

The first item to roll off the assembly and be installed in the RSX was a lightweight chrome-moly flywheel and high-power clutch, as well as a pressure plate kit that decreases the rotating mass and promotes quicker revs between shifts.

To expedite exhaust gases from the combustion chamber, Toda developed a tubular racing header. Company testing on the engine dyno has produced 10 to 15 hp to the flywheel. Unlike the factory exhaust manifold, which converges four short tubes into a single outlet, the Toda race header utilizes a 4-2-1 design with extra-long primary runners that increase horsepower throughout the entire powerband.

From the header, the spent gases are evacuated through a Fujitsubo Power Getter exhaust system. The Fujitsubo system produces a harmonious note as the K20A engine comes into full song at 8000 rpm. To enhance the breathing capability of the Honda engine, an Injen short-ram intake system was also implemented.

As this article went to press, Toda was in the process of developing a set of performance camshafts for the K20 engine. The Toda bumpsticks will offer smooth idle and driveability with increased power and torque. Fine-tuning the engine upgrades was a Power Enterprises P-VTC (Fuel and i-VTEC controller). The P-VTC unit have both fuel enrichment, i-VTEC engagement and tachometer output all in one. (For more info, check out the tech article in this issue.)

The simple intake and exhaust upgrades were good enough to lay down the law with 195.5 hp and 133.6 lb-ft of torque to the wheels on a Dynapack chassis dyno.

Increasing the RSX's road holding capability is a Toda FIGHTEX N1+ race coil-over suspension system. The FIGHTEX coil-over system features full height adjustability and tunable dampening. Featuring several different levels of coil-over performance, the N1+ system was developed specifically for N1 circuit racing. Manufactured completely in-house in Toda's extensive R&D facility, the N1+ system is the Ferrari of all coil-over systems.

The interior of the RSX was kept virtually stock with the exception of Sparco Torino reclining racing seats and a JDM Type-R shift knob. The seats provide a perfect balance between lumbar support and lateral grip for frequent attack of apexes. On the exterior, the white paint job was covered with Toda's signature FIGHTEX body striping. The RSX body lines also include a JDM Type-R body kit and JDM headlights.

You can just feel something special about Toda Racing's RSX. All of the company's products reflect Mr. Yukio Toda's dedication for automotive performance. Toda's president developed this company with the sole purpose of bringing the best--and only the best--products to performance enthusiasts. Originating in Japan and now having distributed stateside, Toda Racing's RSX is living up to Mr. Toda's goal of excellence.